The Shared Table
Growing up on a dairy farm instilled in Dianne Ray the passion to dedicate her life to cooking for others.
Growing up on a dairy farm instilled in Dianne Ray the passion to dedicate her life to cooking for others.
Immersed in what she dubs a “genuine paddock-to-plate” lifestyle from a young age, she was able to combine her childhood experience with her love for the land to carve a career focused on conjuring wholesome, intriguing food.
“I always loved having dinner parties at my place. Having the guests and yourself all in the kitchen, really enjoying the food, sharing and embracing something different and discovering new flavours and textures,” Di says.
Having been in the hospitality industry for the last 18 years, Di kicked off her career at renowned local catering company Peter Ford before taking the plunge and opening The Shared Table – an eatery that aims to bring people together over interesting food.
Opening in 2019, The Shared Table prides itself on sourcing local produce and fresh ingredients – serving dishes that raise awareness about sustainability in the food industry.
Local growers and suppliers include Sher Wagyu, Western Plains Pork, Inglenook Dairy, Dama Dama Venison and Millbrook eggs, with Buninyong residents also gifting herbs, fruit and vegetables from their own harvest.
“Promoting sustainability is a big part of what we do,” Di says. “We endeavour to be as close to zero waste as possible. With this in mind, we offer a ‘dine without decision’ menu. This allows us to prepare for a known quantity, minimising waste in the process.”
With a unique flavour combination that isn’t widely available, and at an affordable price point, The Shared Table gives diners the chance to experience hearty dining served with artistic flair – the only way Di believes food should be served.
“I get immense joy and inspiration from seasonal ingredients,” she says. “The playful design of the dishes involves a lot of creativity and like any craftsperson or artist, I gain immense satisfaction from creating something beautiful, with the added benefit of sharing a playful culinary experience with our guests.”
Located in the village of Buninyong, about 10 minutes outside of the Ballarat CBD, The Shared Table space was designed by IF Architecture, the same company which designed the likes of Melbourne’s Attica, Cutler & Co and Etta.
Dianne says she wanted the restaurant to pay tribute to the building’s historic roots while celebrating the new age.
“I wanted it to have a smart informality, but still be different,” she says. “We were dealing with a heritage building that had previously been condemned, and we wanted to bring it into the 21st century. We wanted to peel it back to where it was, but take it to where it’s going.”
“Our beautiful interiors have been sympathetically designed to complement the historic 1850s building.”
“Promoting sustainability is a big part of what we do,” Di says. “We endeavour to be as close to zero waste as possible. With this in mind, we offer a ‘dine without decision’ menu. This allows us to prepare for a known quantity, minimising waste in the process.”
With a unique flavour combination that isn’t widely available, and at an affordable price point, The Shared Table gives diners the chance to experience hearty dining served with artistic flair – the only way Di believes food should be served.
“I get immense joy and inspiration from seasonal ingredients,” she says. “The playful design of the dishes involves a lot of creativity and like any craftsperson or artist, I gain immense satisfaction from creating something beautiful, with the added benefit of sharing a playful culinary experience with our guests.”
Located in the village of Buninyong, about 10 minutes outside of the Ballarat CBD, The Shared Table space was designed by IF Architecture, the same company which designed the likes of Melbourne’s Attica, Cutler & Co and Etta.
Dianne says she wanted the restaurant to pay tribute to the building’s historic roots while celebrating the new age.
“I wanted it to have a smart informality, but still be different,” she says. “We were dealing with a heritage building that had previously been condemned, and we wanted to bring it into the 21st century. We wanted to peel it back to where it was, but take it to where it’s going.”
“Our beautiful interiors have been sympathetically designed to complement the historic 1850s building.”
Everything in the restaurant has been handcrafted by local tradesmen, from the bespoke dining chairs to the stone tabletops, the corrugated Mt Buninyong feature wall to the sheoak shared table itself.
“We had a large oak tree at our house and the children loved to play on one of its big branches,” Di says. “When it fell, Tim Williams (who worked on the restaurant’s fit-out) took the trunk and had it milled for us. He then combined it with a blackwood from his property and completed it with a piece of sheoak, which has copper-like grains that complement the restaurant interior.”
The restaurant’s open kitchen further enriches the dining experience, allowing guests the chance to feel invited into the entire cooking experience.
“We hope our guests leave happy, and inspired by the different flavours and are surprised by the beautiful interiors,” Di says.
“We have a real passion for flavour and quality ingredients. The Shared Table does “fun” dining, not fine dining.”
